This blog post comes to our readers from the beautiful island of Mallorca. I first visited Mallorca over 15 years ago, taking part in the typical tourist attractions that the island has to offer, from the Sóller railway ride, to visiting the various marinas and ports for evening dinners and sunsets to a day out in Palma, ambling through the cobbled streets and soaking up the sunshine and culture.

This time round, I'm staying in Portals Nous on the southwest of the island. During my time here I've engaged in a fair number of conversations with the locals. One of the interesting points raised were the positive and negative effects that tourism had placed on the island. On the plus side of course, the continued influx of tourism has allowed Mallorca to prosper economically.

What seemed sometimes unwelcome (but perhaps not vocally outspoken by every local business such as taxistas, hoteliers and restauranteurs) were the groups of tourists from various parts of Europe and abroad who have ‘invaded the party central of Magaluf’. As much as the Mallorquí ayuntamiento (council) are trying to soften its reputation, it still has some way to go. Stories of football fights, out of control groups of youngsters and adults, petty violence and littering are sadly common, though mainly restricted to this area.

The authorities face a difficult conundrum, as it balances the interests of local businesses and residents. Proposals such as fines and opening time restrictions have had little effect but who knows what the ensuing tourist seasons hold.In any case, this isn’t a problem specific to Mallorca, it’s prevalent in other parts of Europe and beyond and certainly doesn’t affect your enjoyment of the island. Int was just interesting to see what effects it had had on the locals and the incoming migrants on this island.

I had such a lovely time here and I’m looking forward to going back again soon!

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